Rahul Gandhi Talks About Bharat Jodo Yatra and Jobs at University of Texas
Texas [US], September 9: Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, spoke with students at the University of Texas, Dallas. He shared that the Bharat Jodo Yatra introduced the idea of love in politics. Gandhi explained that the Yatra was conducted because all communication avenues in India were shut. He said, ‘We spoke in parliament. That’s not televised. We go to the media, they don’t pick up what we say. We even go with documents to the legal system, nothing happens. So all our avenues were shut. And for a long time we literally couldn’t understand how to communicate. And then suddenly we hit upon the idea… what better way to go directly than to literally go walking across the country? And so that’s what we did…’
Gandhi mentioned that the Yatra changed his perspective on politics and communication. He said, ‘It completely changed how I view politics, how I view our people, how I communicate, how I listen. To me, the most powerful thing that happened organically, was that we introduced certainly for the first time in India, possibly for the first time in many countries, the idea of ‘love’ in politics.’
He also discussed the need for India to rethink production and manufacturing. Gandhi said, ‘India has to think about the act of production and organising production. It’s not acceptable that India simply says, manufacturing or production is going to be the reserve of the Chinese… or Vietnamese… or Bangladeshis. Bangladesh completely outcompetes us in textiles, regardless of the problems they’re facing right now… We have to reimagine how to produce in a democratic environment. Until we do that, we will face high levels of unemployment.’
Gandhi highlighted the importance of production in creating jobs and noted that many countries, like China and Vietnam, do not have an employment problem. He said, ‘The act of production creates jobs. What we do, Americans do, the west does, is organize consumption. Uber, Foxconn, Mahindra, Bajaj organize production. These are the guys who create the jobs…’
Doubts Revealed
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is an Indian politician and a member of the Indian National Congress party. He is the son of Sonia Gandhi and the grandson of Indira Gandhi, both of whom were important leaders in India.
Bharat Jodo Yatra -: Bharat Jodo Yatra is a campaign or journey across India started by Rahul Gandhi to unite people and spread messages of love and harmony. ‘Bharat’ means India and ‘Jodo’ means unite.
Lok Sabha -: Lok Sabha is the lower house of India’s Parliament, where elected representatives discuss and make laws. It is similar to the House of Commons in the UK or the House of Representatives in the USA.
University of Texas, Dallas -: The University of Texas at Dallas is a big university in the United States where students go to study various subjects. It is located in the city of Dallas, Texas.
Unemployment -: Unemployment means not having a job even though you are able and willing to work. It is a big problem because people need jobs to earn money and live well.
Production and Manufacturing -: Production and manufacturing refer to making goods and products in factories. It is important for creating jobs and helping the economy grow.
China and Vietnam -: China and Vietnam are countries in Asia. They are known for having many factories and producing a lot of goods, which helps them have fewer unemployment problems.
